High School reunions

[gsxrken]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

^^
Over all, did you think going to a school out of your community was a net bad or a net benefit?

That’s unknowable. I have a wonderful family and a lucrative career, so I guess it didn’t hurt? It’s what my parents decided was in my best interests as they saw it at that time.

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by JavaBrewer

I fall into the group of the not popular crowd. My HS crew was about 3-5 people, none of us were stand outs in anything really and were invisible to girls Small school, my graduating class was around 150 people. My group spent time riding motorcycles, talking about them, or cleaning them. And we had jobs to get $$ we would spend on them. So chalk me up for another never-been; never-invited; never-will. I was the only one from my group to go to prom though...with a girl! Great evening!

I got along with everyone, the jocks and the druggies. Lettered in Football 2 years, was on the track team, was in band and played guitar in jazz band. But, I only had a few good friends and frequently did my own thing. My class ring has a dirt bike instead of football or music because I grew up on dirt bikes. I did not go to prom, a group of us took our dates out for a fancy dinner and movie.

I did not like school.

Our entire HS had 400 and our class graduated with 86 in 1986. The neighboring town had a graduating class of 16. My wife went to a HS with 5000+ students, more than the entire population of the three towns we live near.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by sugarwood

1961? Jesus, pushing 80! I've had a great time at every reunion I've been to. HS reunions are much more fun than college reunions. That said, I doubt I would bother to go to a 60th reunion like OP. Do they let people out of nursing homes to attend reunions? Never thought about that.

Even though I had some thoughts about a 60th reunion, I would not be so crass. Mine would be coming up in 2 more years but I've noticed that not even 2 dozen made the 55th and I wasn't one. I think the organizer lost money. Why bother?

The best ones are 10 and 20. I attended those. I was remarried by the 20th so that was interesting. While I wasn't a jock or super popular in HS, I had a group of those women hanging around my table making me nervous. I never had a date with any of them except one that I was once kinda serious about.

Originally Posted by pavulon

Nope. Would only go to see some kid who was picked on (there were several) roll in on his private jet full of hotties, look the place over for 10 seconds and roll back out.

That actually happened at my 10th. One of my classmates wasn't particularly good at anything except being a pompous jerk. He somehow got into rock concert promotions and ran with a heavy crowd. He poked his head in the door and left. He and a few of his buddies moved to Cabo MX and I haven't seen or heard of any of them since.

[asphaltgambler]

I enjoyed high school, mainly the social part, having fun, skipping class, smokin weed before first period. I played in the marching band and the 'stage' band. I went to my 10th and had a great time, it was nice to see most of the people. But that was enough looking back for me. While I am very nostalgic, I tend to do things once, possibly revisit once and then that's it. No sense in spoiling memories by trying to recreate them years or decades later. There's a reason why those things are special (usually).

My oldest brother went to his 50th, of course almost no one recognized each other with-out their name tags but two guys did get into a fight over a girl they played them both back in the day and proceeded to again at the reunion! He said it was the best one ever!

[DWBOX2000]

I skipped all mine until the 30th. My friends had gone to all of them. I had a blast, danced like I was 18 again. Stayed over at the hotel so I wouldn’t have to drive. Not a smart man but knew enough to go to room once the official reunion was over. It got crazy out there. Look forward to the 35th.

[GH85Carrera]

I went to my wife's 40th reunion. Of course I did not know anyone at all, except my wife. I enjoyed talking to strangers. The one thing I learned as a kid that moved to a new every single year for 10 years was to be able to talk to anyone. She was one of the people that went to kindergarten thru high school with the same same friends. I never knew a school mate longer than one year except as a Junior and Senior in high school.

My wife grew up in the small town of Enid, OK. Many of her classmates were farmers and ranchers.

[vash]

how do people running these things even find you? as far as social media goes, i am off the grid. who runs these things? the class president of that class?

there could have been several events i missed because i didnt get the invite.

[GH85Carrera]

I would have to seek out my high school and add my name for them to have my contact info.

That is easy with the internet of today.

[sugarwood]

Originally Posted by DWBOX2000

I skipped all mine until the 30th. My friends had gone to all of them. I had a blast, danced like I was 18 again. Stayed over at the hotel so I wouldn’t have to drive. Not a smart man but knew enough to go to room once the official reunion was over. It got crazy out there. Look forward to the 35th.

That is how it's done.
10th reunion was an energetic party with a huge turnout.
For my 20th, I got a hotel room, which turned out to be a fruitful investment.
The 30th was a more sedate and sober affair for all, but also enjoyable.
Over the years, everyone looked great, which was very satisfying

[Evans, Marv]

Originally Posted by vash

how do people running these things even find you? as far as social media goes, i am off the grid. who runs these things? the class president of that class?

there could have been several events i missed because i didnt get the invite.

My H.S. reunion commitee has a website, plus they track people by sending out messages asking for contact info for a list of people they want to locate. Every time I don't hear from them for a while, I get afraid the guy running it has kicked the bucket.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

I enjoyed talking to strangers. The one thing I learned as a kid that moved to a new every single year for 10 years was to be able to talk to anyone.

You sound like my wife. She went to 7 different high schools. A few minutes after she meets a new person they're quacking away like best friends.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

You sound like my wife. She went to 7 different high schools. A few minutes after she meets a new person they're quacking away like best friends.

I remember at a 5th grader I was shy and not one of the local kids made the effort to talk to me, or include me. I had zero friends, and I hated it. I still remember riding in a car to the new school thinking to myself, no one here knows me as the shy kid. I will not be shy anymore. At recess I walked up to the group of boys and said Hi, I am Glen the new kid. I made tons of friends and had sleepovers and had a great year. The next year I did the same thing.

My brother can talk to anyone as well. It is a skill one has to learn when always surrounded by new faces every year.

[jcwade]

i went to my 45th reunion a couple of years ago. I don't know why.
I did not remember most of the people there.
Nor did I care.
Everyone I kept in touch with after HS have died.
I did not have any recollection of most of the people who showed up.
Nor did I miss any of them.
Reunions are for the people who revel in the past.
I don't.
Al Bundy always reveled in his HS years.
And he was an ass.
Growing beyond our earlier experiences is what makes us human.
Give up the old nonsense and live your life.

[cstreit]

Originally Posted by Noah930

I'm actually on the planning committee for my 30th HS reunion. Any ideas on how to hold something like this via Zoom? We had about 130 graduates, but you can't have 80 people talking with each other one at a time via Zoom. We were actually fairly tight knit. About once a year maybe a dozen of us get together for dinner. Maybe about 70 percent probably live in the SoCal area,.but we've got grads throughout the country.

I would suggest several meeting rooms with themes... Sports room, reconnecting, show us your kids, etc.. people can browse thru them

[sugarwood]

Originally Posted by jcwade

45th
Everyone I kept in touch with after HS have died.

Reunions are for the people who revel in the past.
Growing beyond our earlier experiences is what makes us human.
Give up the old nonsense and live your life.

What a weird attitude. Everyone has moved on, not just you.
You really think these people have been counting down the days to each reunion?
Like they have nothing else going on?
A reunion is just a fun night to see a few faces from the forgotten past, for a few hours.
Sad how many people carry a grudge their entire lives.

How are most of your HS friends already dead at age 63 ?

[ted]

My HS reunion was combined with another HS reunion, 2 HS reunions same night and location.

Both schools were on the same campus for one year on split sessions before the second HS school was opened just before my senior year.

1. So this was confusing. Now you have spouses of your classmates, along with classmates from another school and their spouses too all in the same room.

2. So I used a line from my teenage years when meeting classmates.
"What high school did you go to?"

3. Met a classmate walking in and we circulated the room together for 15 minutes.
Until I got sick of hearing him meet old classmates while repeating his bragging about family and career over and over again.

4. It was held at nice auto museum so not a total loss.

[fintstone]

I was overseas and missed our first reunion (never even knew until my brother mentioned it much later). He and his friends were shocked when several women they considered unattainable came by and asked about me (thinking that we had some sort of thing/chemistry in high school). I would have been shocked as well...as I never knew they were interested in the least other than as a friend. They, in turn, were shocked when my brother told them that I was (happily) married the fall after we graduated. They did not even know I was dating my wife (who was older and had graduated).

My wife and I did go to my 30th as we had planned a trip there and adjusted the dates of our visit slightly (although living on the other side of the country). My brother and his wife were there as well. When we arrived, I thought we were in the wrong place. I did not recognize anyone and all were very, very old. Strangely, very few of the really, really popular (back in high school) showed up. Most were from what was considered the lower end of the popularity pool back in the day (as far as wealth, attractiveness, athleticism, etc.). It seems that many of them had not been too successful and really felt that a reunion would not be pleasant.

I had been somewhat popular across most of the different cliques/groups...but not exactly among the "rich and famous" coming from a poor family and only average in looks (but well above average on the athletic and "smarts" end of the spectrum)...and my wife and I looked about 10 years younger than our age while my small town peers looked about 10 years older than their age. We had travelled the world and done well...and were the "rock stars" of the event. Everyone recognized me and felt that I had changed little as I had gained little weight (and my hair was still intact with the same color and style)...and my older wife that few knew looked young/attractive enough that many thought her a trophy wife). I enjoyed it immensely once I began to figure out who everyone else was (many of them had kept in touch with each other). The folks that really seemed to have done well (financially) were those that left (like my brother and I) as there was little opportunity. Some for college and did not return and other for the military. Many of the really smart, but physically and socially inept returned to flaunt and revel in their success. There was a tribute set up to those of our class that had died...and it was quite a large group.

My work every day at the time was with a group of extremely successful, very well educated people from all over the world and I was accustomed to being relatively average. I enjoyed connecting with old friends and acquaintances very much and realized just how much had changed and how far we had come in 30 years...but was also saddened that some of my friends that had so much potential had achieved little due to lack of opportunity (and poor choices).

All-in-all, it was much better than I expected...and I wish they had held a 40th.

[Ayles]

Comedy gold right there!!